Playground Romance
by JRob41319
Summary: Kate Beckett and Rick Castle, actually met decades before he started following her around; however their first meeting was fear from normal. A glimpse into the past of everyone's two favorite characters. AU
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys! So this here is my first attempt at a fanfic. I originally posted this in Maddie (castlecoffee13)'s ask box on Tumblr one day as an Anon, because I was bored, and it kind of grew on me. So let me know what you guys think; feedback of any kind is always welcome! Could be a multiple chapter story, or could just be a one shot, let me know your thought's on that!_

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><p>Kate Beckett sat alone on the swings while her mother sat on the other side of the park, poring over some case file that looked longer than any book Kate had ever read. As Kate tried to swing herself higher and higher she became frustrated that her little legs just didn't seem to have enough strength to get her as high as she wanted.<p>

After about ten minutes of swinging Kate stopped, accepting that the swing had won, she would never reach the stars. Just as Kate was about to get off the swing and wander back over to her mother, an older boy came over to her and asked if she wanted a push. Never being one to ask anyone for help, Kate said no.

The boy looked confused, because obviously no one had ever said no to him before. Kate was different from most girls though and it didn't take long for him tot realize that.

"I'm Rick" he said, as he thrust his large hand towards her.

"Hello" Kate replied, not giving him the satisfaction of knowing her name.

"So why don't you want me to push the swing?" he inquired, "It's obvious that you weren't able to get yourself as high as you wanted".

Well now Kate was mad, who was he to know what she wanted? This boy seemed pretty full of himself and Kate wasn't going to feed that ego. Kate jumped off the swing and turned towards Rick,

"I don't need you to help me, nor do I want your help! I was doing just fine swinging myself and I don't appreciate you thinking otherwise".

Rick was quite taken aback, for a young girl she was quite mature and had a vocabulary that rivaled his own, which was saying a lot. Not to mention the fact that the girl brushed him off so easily; he had never met someone so independent, especially in someone so young. Well now he was intrigued.

Rick followed her as she crossed the park towards the slide, jogging a little to catch up to her. Man she could walk quickly!

"Will you at lest tell me your name?" he called after her.

The girl stopped in her tracks and spun around so quickly that Rick almost ran right in to her.

"Kate" she replied her eyes narrowing, "Now please leave me alone".

She started back across the park when she felt something grab her wrist and before Rick knew what happened she had flipped him onto the ground.

Rick lay stunned on the ground looking up at the girl who had just put him there. He blinked a few times trying to gather his thoughts. He had grabbed Kate's wrist trying to stop her, he had wanted to talk, but instead of stopping like he thought she would, she had turned around and in one swift motion flipped him over her over her shoulder, to where he found himself now, lying on his back in the grass.

As Rick stood he noticed a woman running over to him and Kate. She didn't look happy.

"Kate what did you do? How many times have I told you not to use those moves on people!" the woman shouted as she drew nearer to where Kate stood.

Rick simply watched the exchange between the girl and the woman in amusement, so this isn't the first time this has happened?

"I'm sorry mom" the girl whispered her eyes trained on the ground, " I know you only taught me those moves for self defense, but he was just being so annoying and I tried to leave and he grabbed me and... and I just reacted".

Kate allowed her eyes to trail back to her mother, and was surprised to see that the woman was trying to suppress a smile.

"Mom...?" Kate began, but the woman cut her off before she could finish.

"Katherine Beckett, I have never been more-" here it comes thought Kate, I am in so much trouble. "-proud that you are my daughter than I am right now".

Wait what? Was her mother really saying what she thought she was saying? Her mother was proud of how she had attacked Rick?

Rick didn't know how to react to the exchange between Kate and her mother, but he was sure entertained by it. It seemed that the older woman had taught Kate these 'self-defense' moves and it also appeared that instead of being mad at Kate, which is originally what Rick had thought, the woman was proud of her daughter.

Rick was so absorbed by the Beckett family, already starting to write their story in his head, that he almost didn't notice the older woman was talking to him.

"What" Rick said staring at the woman blankly, he had been so caught up in creating their back story that he completely missed what the woman had said.

"I apologize for Katie here, sometimes she is too strong for her own good" the woman repeated.

"And stubborn too" Rick chuckled, before he realized it had slipped out, the woman simply smiled back at him,

"That she is" the older Beckett replied. "Now Katie, it's time to go" the woman said leaning towards her daughter, and Rick's heart fell.

"W-w-w-ait" Rick stuttered, "You're leaving?"

"Well of course we are leaving" Kate responded, addressing him for the first time since she had flipped him to he ground, "You don't just expect us to sit around at the park all day, we have better things to do".

Kate gave him a slight eye roll when he simply stared at her dumbfounded.

"But-but , will I ever see you again?" Rick finally managed to get out.

"Why Rick, so I can be another one of those helpless women you push on the swings?" the girl teased.

"Or maybe you could push me" Rick responded with a grin.

"We'll see" Kate giggled as she skipped off after her mother, leaving Rick standing alone in the middle of the park.

Well one thing was sure, Kate was a mystery that Rick may never solve, but he would sure as hell try his best anyways.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey everyone, I am so sorry it took so long to get this up! I actually meant to have it up last Monday, but life has been super busy lately and even though I had it done about a week ago, I didn't have time to edit or post it. So here it is. I am hoping to get at least one more chapter up before the end of the week, maybe two if you are luck. Chapter 3 is already half done :) As always please review and let me know what you think. If you think I should continue, or even if you just have suggestions about what could happen. Thanks so much for reading!_**  
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><p>Rick couldn't stop thinking about Kate all the way home; couldn't get her out of his head. He saw her hair, her eyes, her strength, her beauty, and that adorable smile she had tried to suppress as she watched him blinking up at her from the ground. As he walked down the busy streets of New York City, he continued to write Kate's story in his head, but there were so many holes, so much mystery unsolved. He wanted to know everything about her, to understand the beautiful mystery that was Katherine Beckett.<p>

Kate. That's what she had introduced herself as, but he just loved the name Katherine. He guessed Kate was a nickname. One she pick out? One her parents called her? More mystery. Rick got the sense that she wasn't the type to share her secrets. He knew it would take time, and he might never learn everything about her, but he could be patient, and he would be willing to take whatever she would give him.

Rick was so deep in though that he walked right past his building. He backtracked, smiling sheepishly at Frank the doorman as he entered his building. He trudged up the ten flights of stairs, not wanting to be forced to socialize with his neighbors in the elevator. They always asked him how his mother is, where she is tonight, invite him for dinner. He wasn't in the mood for their sympathetic looks of pity tonight; he had too many other things on his mind.

He pulled his key out of his back pocket, gripping his Green Lantern key chain as he slid the key into the lock.

"Mother…? Are you home?"

Hearing no response he closed the door and locked it behind him. Figures, he thought, his mother is never home. She is probably at play rehearsal, or out for drinks with the cast, or dinner with the director. Honestly he had no idea where she was, he never did. All Rick knew was that his mother was never home, and he had had to learn to take care of himself.

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><p>Kate was distracted the whole way home, something her mother noticed easily.<p>

"What's on your mind Katie-Cat?" her mother inquired giving her hand a squeeze.

"Nothing" Kate replied still somewhat distracted.

Johanna Beckett was a lawyer and could tell when people were lying. She knew that there was something on her daughter's mind, and she had a feeling it had to do with a certain boy they had met in the park earlier that day.

"Katie, come on tell me what you are thinking about." Johanna said a little more persuasive. "Might this have anything to do with a young man named Rick, who you attacked earlier?"

"I didn't attack him! It was self defense!" Kate exclaimed.

"I know sweetie I was just teasing you" Johanna giggled. "But really Katie, he's what's got you so distracted isn't he?"

Kate let go of her mother's hand, skipping ahead, a smile spreading across her face.

"Maybe" she smirks, twirling around.

"Well it's good to see you in such a good mood for once my little grumpy" Johanna teased.

"Yeah" Kate sighed contently as they reached their front door, "I think I am."

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><p>It was a little after midnight when Rick awoke to noises in his apartment. He listened carefully to the familiar sound of his mother banging around the kitchen, it didn't sound like she had company tonight.<p>

Although he was used to it, Rick was annoyed at having been woken up in the middle of the night, seeing as he had had enough trouble falling asleep that night.

He had been thinking about Kate, he had been thinking about her non-stop since the minute she left him standing dumbfounded in the park. He saw her face on the walls of his apartment, felt her touch as he ate dinner alone at the table, and heard her voice in his head whenever he closed his eyes.

Sleep had taken so long to finally come, and he was not pleased about being woken from it, but he had to admit that the crashing and banging that was echoing through the apartment let him know his mother was home, that she was safe.

Although Rick always made it seem like he didn't care that his mother was never home, like he didn't mind that he has had to take care of himself, like he didn't stay up late at night wondering where his mother was, he did. He cared, he minded, he worried.

Today, for the first time in months Rick allowed himself to be happy. He had allowed himself to let go of his worries and his duties. Today Rick took a break from being the grown up his life forced him to be. Rick had smiled more today than he had in the past month. And it was all because of Kate.

That beautiful, strong, and mysterious girl that he had met today had flipped some switch in him that allowed him to experience everything that he had been missing for years. She gave him hope.

Rick knew how crazy it sounded; he had just met her, barely even spoken to her. Heck she had all but blown him off, but still she changed him, gave him hope that he too could be happy, live a normal life although his circumstance forced him to act older than his age.

Rick knew he needed more; more hope, more happiness, more smiles, more Kate.

He was convinced he would see her again. Tomorrow. He would go back to the park tomorrow, and the next day, and the next if he had to until he saw her again.

And upon that decision, Rick drifted peacefully back to sleep, dreaming of Kate.


End file.
